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Why does Congress need the family after 70 years

I am totally bereft about the fact that the Congress still needs the Gandhi name for Fevicol. The media madness over Priyanka Gandhi, who has been a housewife all her life and has not done a day’s work apart from a few speeches once in five years to boost her brother is there for all of India to see and hopefully remember. Yet the media are all over her as the Ace in the house of cards that was about to collapse!

Why are we so enamoured by a surname? That to a made up one. After all, Feroze Jehangir Gandhi was actually a Parsee, and his surname would have been Ghandy, as that is how the Parsees spelt it. Yet it seems to have been changed to reflect a Nehru / Gandhi connection. In addition, Priyanka married Robert Vadra, but his name is curiously out of the picture. She is depicted as the epitome of her grandmother Indira and is said not only to look like her but have the same charisma. This is I find quite disconcerting as Indira had to prove herself over many years as a politician as well as someone who oversaw India’s victory against Pakistan in 1971.

According to a recent interview by Dr. Subramanium Swamy, Priyanka is bi-polar and cannot handle stress or the limelight. In fact he actually says that her Special Protection Group, SPG, had asked him to get them transferred out as they could not handle her bad temper.

I have always wondered why the Gandhi family have never sued him for defamation as he has said a lot against the family on mainstream news but they have just kept quiet hoping no one will hear him.

This is odd at a time when every politician is taking up defamation suits against them in court.

To get back to my point, apart from looking pretty and having a semblance to her grandmother, Priyanka has never ever got her feet wet in politics. Nor has she worked tirelessly for any constituency.

Does the Congress party really feel that Priyanka can save the party in 2019?

One just has to wonder at the inner democracy in the oldest Indian Party and why no other Congress stalwart is getting promoted—many have served the country in their constituencies and have got elected again for achieving what they set out to do, yet the glue to the party winning seems to be Priyanka, which is being discussed threadbare by the mainstream media.

The coming election will have PM Modi pitted against regional leaders forming a somewhat loose alliance, if truth be told, each of them have prime ministerial ambitions and none of them alone is recognised as someone who has an all India appeal.

The Congress Party is so desperate to win that they are trying very hard to convince the Indian voter that there Ace card of bringing Priyanka Gandhi in will turn the tide from an ignominious defeat to victory.

Mahatma Gandhi was right when he had said that the Congress Party in India should be dissolved as it had been a party fighting for independence and once India achieved independence, it no longer had a role to play in politics but should it want to, it would be best under another a new avatar. He would have been shocked to see it become a dynasty. One that ruled India for over 45 years and will do anything to keep in power.

DISCLAIMER : Views expressed above are the author's own.

Blog

The blog will cover current issues ranging from politics to pollution — getting readers to question why India is behind in many aspects. Why do countries like China, Thailand, and Malaysia get more tourism, business and investments? Why do Indians blame history, geography or politicians for all our problems? How can Indians be more responsible? India is one of the most undisciplined countries, but when Indians go abroad they are among the most law abiding people. No Free Lunch will try to provoke readers to debate on how Indians can contribute toward building a better country.

Author

Freelance journalist Ashali Varma has authored the biography of her father late Lt. Gen. PS Bhagat — ‘The Victoria Cross: A Love Story’. She was executive producer with the International Commentary Service Inc, New York in 1990. She was the executive publisher of The Earth Times, New York (1992- 98). She has also worked as the editor of Choices Magazine, United Nations Development Programme. She writes on various issues including human rights, population and sustainable development.

Freelance journalist Ashali Varma has authored the biography of her father late Lt. Gen. PS Bhagat — ‘The Victoria Cross: A Love Story’. She was execu. . .

Blog

The blog will cover current issues ranging from politics to pollution — getting readers to question why India is behind in many aspects. Why do countries like China, Thailand, and Malaysia get more tourism, business and investments? Why do Indians blame history, geography or politicians for all our problems? How can Indians be more responsible? India is one of the most undisciplined countries, but when Indians go abroad they are among the most law abiding people. No Free Lunch will try to provoke readers to debate on how Indians can contribute toward building a better country.

Author

Freelance journalist Ashali Varma has authored the biography of her father late Lt. Gen. PS Bhagat — ‘The Victoria Cross: A Love Story’. She was executive producer with the International Commentary Service Inc, New York in 1990. She was the executive publisher of The Earth Times, New York (1992- 98). She has also worked as the editor of Choices Magazine, United Nations Development Programme. She writes on various issues including human rights, population and sustainable development.

Freelance journalist Ashali Varma has authored the biography of her father late Lt. Gen. PS Bhagat — ‘The Victoria Cross: A Love Story’. She was execu. . .